Elastic fluid turbine arrangement



Oct. 2, 1945.

R. P. scHLENK'l-:R 2,386,067 ELASTIC FLUID TRBINE ARRANGEMENT.

' Filed April 15, m44

Pig.

-J za Ihvetorf: Rudolf F? Schie-anker;

by Y

A His Attorney.

Patented Oct. 2, 1945 v 2,386,067 ELASTIC FLUID TURBINE ARRANGEMENT Rudolf P. Schlenker, Lynnfield, Mass., assgnor to ompany,` a corporation of General. Electric C New York Application Aprilia 1944, serilN. 531,236

the turbine is out of operation in which case the may cause corrosion of turbine :l`

leakage uid parts. x

The object of my invention is'to `provide yan improved construction of elastic uid "turbine arrangements of the type above specified whereby the aforementioned drawback is overcome.

This is accomplished in accordance with my invention by the provision of means whereby leakage passing along the valve stem is drained to diierent points in the closed and open posi# tions respectively of the valve. For example, l

when the valve is open such leakagefmay be drained to a low pressure turbine stage and when the valve is closed the leakage may be drained to atmosphere.

For a better understanding of what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention is directed to the following description and the claims appended thereto in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 illustrates an elastic fluid turbine arrangement embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail View of a part of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 illustrates a part of Fig. 2 in a different operating position.

The arrangement comprises an elastic uid turbine I0 having a casing II containing a high pressure stage (not shown) upstream from the diaphragm I3 with an inlet I2. Fluid conductturbine. The valve means in the present example comprises a manually operated stop valve I6 and a control valve II which may be operated automatically by a speed governor or the like, not shown. The control valve I1 is located beyond the stop valve I6 as regards the direction of ow of fluid therethrough. In thepresent instance, the two valves have a` ccmrnoncasing I8 with valve seats I9 and 20. The control valve I'I in addition includes a casing member or cover 2I with a bore 22. A sleeve 23 is inserted in the bore and held therein by a nut 24;' `'I'he sleeve vhas a plurality of axially spacedgrooves 25.t vA suitable packing `26 is disposed in the upper end ofthe casing member ZI and held therein by an end plate `2I. A valve stem 28` has a sliding fit in thebore of the sleeve 22 and at its lower, end carries a valve disk 29 for engaging the seat I9. The stop valve I6 in additionto the casing I8 includes another casing member 30 secured to the casing I8 by bolts 3 I` and having a bore with a sleeve.32 securely held therein by a nut 33. `A packing 34 is provided near the upper end of the bore and held in position by an end plate 35. A valve stem 36 is slidably disposed within the sleeve'32 and at itslower end carries a pilot valve member 31 and a main valve member 38.

` The general construction of the valves so far described iswell known in the art. During operation with high pressure, high temperature elasticuid a substantial amount of fluid may leak along the valve stems. Such fluid during normal operation is drained from the valve casings and conducted to a low pressure turbine stage to be utilized therein. To this end I have provided the casing member 2| of the control -valve with a leak-off channel 39 connected by a pipe 40 to the turbine casing ahead ofthe diaphragm I3. Similarly, the stop valve I6 is provided with a leak-off channel 4I connected by a pipe 42 to the aforementioned pipe 40. During operation both valves are in open position. Leakage of elastic fluid along the valve stems then is conducted from the channel 39 through the pipe 46 into the turbine casing and leakage along the stem 36 into the channel of the stop valve is conducted through the pipes 42 and 40 to the turbine.

When both valves are closed, fluid continues to leak-'from the inletJ conduit I6 through an opening 43 in the casing member 3l] of the stop valve and along the stem 36 thereof. Leakage of uid may also occur along the cylindrical portion of the valve member 38. According to my invention means are provided whereby leakage along the valve stem in closed position of the stop valve is prevented from flowing to the turbine and is instead conducted to atmosphere or another suitable point. To this end the casing of the stop valve has in addition to the first drain channel 4I a second drain channel44 located axially beyond the first drain channel 4|. Also, as best shown in Fig. 2, the stem 36 of the stop valve has two axially spaced inner and outer annular grooves 45 and 46 respectively which are connected by an inclined channel 41 through the stem 36. With the valve in closed position, Fig. 2, the annular groove 45 registers with the second drain channel 44, Whereas the other annular groove 45 is located below the inlet or port to the rst drain channel 4l. Thus, .in closed position of the valve, fluid leaking along the stem 36 and reaching the annular groove 45 is conducted therefrom through the inclined channel 41 to the groove 45, whence the fluid is drained through the second channel 44 to atmosphere. In the open position of the valve, as shown in Fig. 3, however, the outer annular groove 46 is located above the second drain channel 44 and the inner groove 45 communicates directly with the first drain channel 4l so thatl leakage fluid passing along the valve stem is discharged through the latter to the turbine.

yBroadly, a valve according to my invention has a `casing with a bore and a valve stem 36 slidably projecting through the bore and having two axially spaced inner and outer annular grooves 45, `46 connected by a channel 41 through the stem 36.' The casing has a rst drain channel 4l and Aa second drain channel 44. The first drain channel 4l registers with the inner groove 45 of the stem in open valve position and the second drain channel 44 is arranged to register with the outer groove 46 of the valve stem in the closed valve position. With such arrangement leakage fluid-is drained through the first drain channel in the open valve position and through the second drain channel in the closed valve position.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. Elastic fluid turbine arrangement including a multi-stage turbine having an inlet conduit, a stop valve and a control valve disposed in the inlet conduit With the control valve located beyond the stop valveas regards the direction of iiow of fluid therethrough, each Valve having a casing with a bore and a valve stem slidably projecting through the bore, means for draining fluid leaking along the'valve stems from the valve casings during operation of the turbine and conducting such uid to a low pressure stage of the turbine when the valves are open, and other means associated with the stop valve for draining fluid leaking from a high pressure region inside the valve casing along the stop valve stem to a. region of lower pressure outside the turbine when the stop valve is closed and the turbine is not operating- 2. Elastic fluid turbine arrangement comprising a multi-stage turbine having an inlet conduit with a valve therein, said valve having a casing With a bore therethrough, a stem slidably projecting through the bore, and means for draining fluid leaking along the stem from the casing and conducting such leakage uid to a low pressure turbine stage during normal operation of the turbine, and other means for rendering the rst mentioned Vmeans inoperative when the valve is in closed position and for conducting leakage fluid to a point other than the turbine casing.

3. A valve comprising a casing having a bore, a valve stem slidably projecting through the bore, said stem having two axially spaced grooves and a passage connecting the grooves, and two drain channels in the casing, one of the drain channels communicating with said grooves and passage in closed valve position only and the other drain channel being arranged to communicate with the grooves and passage in open valve position only.

4. Ar valve comprising a casing having a bore and a valve stem slidably projecting through the bore, and means for draining iluid leaking along the stem in open position of the valve including a drain channel formed in the valve casing and other means for rendering the first named means inoperative in closed position of the valve including another drain4 channel formed in the casing and leading to a portion of the valve stem axially spaced from the lirst mentioned channel.

RUDOLF P. SCHLENKER. 

